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Cover of New Beginning by Tracy Chapman
Cover: New Beginning

Song · Tracy Chapman

“Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman

From the album New Beginning (1995)

“Give Me One Reason” by Tracy Chapman appears on 23 radio countdowns from 9 stations between 1996 and 2025. It was first released in 1995 on the album New Beginning. Its best result is #22 on the WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,405 alternative song of all time.

23countdowns
9stations
#22best position
0#1 finishes
0top 10 finishes
1996–2025years charted

Watch

Tracy Chapman - Give Me One Reason (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (Tracy Chapman). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Give Me One Reason" had been kicking around for years before Tracy Chapman finally put it on New Beginning, her fourth album, in 1995: she'd played it on her 1988 tour and on Saturday Night Live in December 1989. The wait paid off. Chapman produced it with Don Gehman, who also engineered and mixed, and they kept it bare and bluesy, a loping shuffle with Chapman's deep, unhurried voice doing all the persuading.

It became her biggest American hit, her first single since 1992's "Dreaming on a World", and at the 1997 Grammys it won Best Rock Song while also contending for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1996 344 WNEW-FM WNEW Firecracker 500 (1996) 500
1997 937 102.3 WBAB WBAB Top 1,023 Rock and Roll Songs of All Time (1997) 1023
1999 1286 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
2000 1287 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2001 1287 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2002 1286 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2003 1271 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 1271 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2005 1272 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 470 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2007 914 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 899 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 923 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 952 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 983 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1039 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1092 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2021 365 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2022 28 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2023 377 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 349 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2024 360 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2025 22 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500

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